Steps, steps, steps and more STEPS!! We walked up hundreds and hundreds of steps while in Italy! No heels, ladies…unless you are a glutton for punishment.
Our second day in Italy was filled with walking up, you guessed it, more steps…463 steps to be exact! It was worth the, ever so long, journey up the breathtakingly beautiful Duomo in Florence, Italy!
Duomo-Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiore
This cathedral is the symbol of Florence and was completed in 1436.
We figured out that we had to receive a separate ticket, at no additional charge, because we purchased the Firenze Card. This was a bit confusing and inconvenient, but you shouldn’t let this affect your decision to go to the top of the Duomo, we would definitely do it again! You should check to see if the Firenze Card would benefit you. I wrote about this card in more detail on my last blog post, Florence Part 1. You can also visit this site to receive more info Firenze Card.
About half way up, you get an amazing view of Giorgio Vasari’s frescoes of The Last Judgement mostly painted by Frederico Zuccari. I was amazed by the size of it, but a little put off by some of the scary scenes of “hell”. Anyway, it was impressive nonetheless!
Once you reach the top, you get an AmAzing 360 view of Florence! It’s breathtaking!
Even the architectural detail on the top was beautiful!
Palazzo Vecchio
Next we visited the Palazzo Vecchio…that translates to “Old Palace”. Once we reached the top(yes, we went up even more steps), I felt like we could be visited by a fire breathing dragon any second! Or, maybe, we would find Repunzel locked away in the high tower?!
The views from the top were just as beautiful as from the Duomo, but the Arno River views were way better!
Okay! That was enough steps for me for one day. So, we just wandered around more of the streets of Florence and visited a few local shops.
Pizzeria Gattabuia
The night before, we found a great little place for dessert and cappuccino that was across the street from our hotel. We liked it so much that we came back for seconds! The pizza was incredibly fresh, and the dessert was a chocolate masterpiece!
Below is a picture of me after I finished my chocolatey goodness. Can you tell I liked it? What a great way to end this beautiful day that we had in Florence!
Join me next time for my last and final post about Florence…as we visit the beautiful Boboli Gardens! Ciao! TADA(TravelsADanceAway)!
Steps, steps, and more steps-so right. I missed ONE step at a monastery where my little group was staying. I was hurrying to make an appearance for breakfast since I preferred to sleep in. Spent the next 12 days of our trip in agony as I had to take the proverbial steps with an injured,swollen knee. Loved every step I took still! Enjoyed the refresher memories of Florence.
Yes, Judy! So many steps
Ah, Florence! Beautiful landscapes, cobblestone streets, delicious food..Brings back so many happy memories! It’s really too bad we weren’t able to go together:( Maybe one day..wouldn’t that be nice?! 🙂
Yes, that would be lovely! Let’s go to Hawaii first;-)
Yes, Florence is just one of those places that gets you all warm and cozy inside…so much beauty all in one place! Dreaming about going back, hopefully, accompanied by great friends this time;-)